Rocker mechanism for car-seats.



s. A. WALKER. RGCKER MECHANISNI FOR CAR SEA-TS.

V-- -Il I I Irl Patented Apr. 15, 1919. l2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

java/ZZ?? S. A. WALKER.

HOOKER MECHANISIVI FOR CAR SEATS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1918.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

2' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTaTns PATENT opinion.

SHERIDAN A. WALKER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR,-BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE CARSON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

ROCKER MECHANISM FOR CAR-SEATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 191e.

Application filed J' uly 9, 1918. Serial No. 244,067.

Mechanisms for Car-Seats, of lwhich the following is a specication.

The present invention relates to certain mechanismf'for shifting the angle of the cushion as a car seat back is moved, and which is commonly referred to as the rocker mechanism, and further tov the means for supporting this mechanism and the car seat.

The object of the invention is to so arrange `the rocker mechanism that there Will be a 'retarding or braking action imparted to the back just prior to reaching its limit of movement, so that the back does not settle into its final' position with a jolt or jar which would tend to disorganize the mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the rocker plates and the means for operating the same that a clear space can be left at the side of the car body for the passage of steam pipes.

A further object of the invention is to form the rocker plates of a truss formation and have the operating rods therefor andl supporting rods therefor pass directly through the plate, thus enabling the plate to be made of a relatively broad and substantial character.

A further object of the invention is to utilize a plate of a relatively broad and substantial character and to so support it as yto have it spaced a proper distance above the car Hoor and yet not place the top Vof the cushion of the seat objectionably high from thefloor.

A further object of the-invention is to 'secure the rocker plates in position in a manner so that they cannot be detached from the supporting rods and thus become misplaced or lost. v

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the rocked plates that theyvmay, if desired, be adjusted on the operating rods and supporting rods so asl to be moved to various positions with respect to the aisle or car end of the seat.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

..'Inthedrawings: Y

Figure l is a side elevation of the-seat of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the aisle end thereof; Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the back in reverse position;

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the position of the rocker plate at the commencement of placing the braking or retarding action on v the seat b ack;

Fig. 5 1s a plan view showing one of the v'rocker plates and the connecting and operating rods in operative position thereto and Fig. 6 is a detail cross section of the rocker plate. l Y v In the art to which the present invention relates, considerable diiiiculty exists kin reversing the back of the seat, in that the back when it moves to its final reverse position will assume momentum enough to cause it to` settle with a jar, jolting the mechanism of the seat, and thus disorganizing and in some instances breaking the same.

Diiiculty has also been experienced in properly supporting the' seats so as to leave enough clearancel between the supporting' .rods and the Hoor, which the railroads require to be ten inches, and yet not have the top of the cushion elevated so far above the Hoor as to make it uncomfortable to sit upon. Y

Further diiiculty exists in that the workmen in repairing or repainting the cars will remove'the rocker plates and they thus become lost, and then when an attempt vis made to put the car'back into service, it has to be laid up in the yards for a considerable length of time awaiting the securance of new rocker plates to replace those that have been lost in the shop. v

The above diflicultiesare some of those which the present invention is concerned in overcoming. 'Y Y v Referring now to the drawings, the invention is shown in conjunction with a car seat 7, comprising a back 8 of any suitable style, an arm 9, cushion 10 and pedestal `11. All of the aboveparts may be of any suit- -able shape and style 'of construction.,

Extending from the pedestal 11 is 'a 105 strap 14, joined-together by a bolt 15. These V'1x10 rods 13 extend across to a wall plate 16, located on the' side of the car, and are joined to -thewall'plate by means of a sleeve or ferrule 17, through which extends a suitable vbolt or other locking member 18.

The rods are also joined to the arm 9 of the seat by a sleeve and bolt connection similar to'that described above with respect to the wall plate. These rods 13V extend through slots 19 formedin a rocker plate 20, there being one slot located at each end of the plate, and one of the rods extends through eachslot. There are two of these plates, one located adjacent the aisle end of the seat and the other adjacent the wall end. They are both exactly alike in construction and a detailed description of one will therefore suiiice. j

Each of these slots 19 is formed of what may be termed an elongated portion 21, a short or terminal portion 22, and an angularly disposed portion 23. Theangularly disposed portion is the connecting part between the elongated portion 21 and short portion 22. The rocker plates are each provided with the usual studs 24, which receive the cushion 10. Each of the plates is further provided with, vertical slots 25, through which extend rods 26 constituting the operatingrods for the plates, a description of which will be hereinafter given.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that both the operating and supporting rods forrthe rocker plates extend directly through the plate. y The plate itself is of truss formation,.as will be seen from Fig.V 6, and can thus be made very strong yand substantial. lBy passing the supporting rods 13 directly through the plates, these rods can pass very close toV the upper and lower edges of the plate, as will be apparent from Figs. 3 an 4.

1 Therefore, the lower edge of the cushion,

which rests upon the top of the rocker plates, will be brought close down to these supporting rods.- The rods can be placed the required ten inches above the floor line, and owing to the cushion resting so close'to the rods, the top -of the vcushion will not be raised so high as to make it 'uncomfortable to sitin, which is the casein the constructions wherein the rocker plates are placed entirely above the supporting rods and then `the cushion on top of the plate.

-YIn the operation' of these car seats, wherein the backV is swung nfrom one side of the seat to the other so as to reverse the position of the back'in accordance with' the direction of movementV of the car, -a con -.-nection'is made ,between the back and rocker plates, so that the rocker plate is actuated to change the angular. disposition of the cushionv whenl the back is shifted. This will f 'be understood by comparing-Figs. 1 and 3.

,- In thepresent .construeticlni',l the means for operating the rocker plates comprise the crank rods 26. These rods are journaled at the car aisle'ends ofthe seat in a suitable manner and are turned by jaw-like members 2 7 on the ends of links 28. These links are connected to a plate 29 secured to the back of the seat. Thus, as the seat lis shifted,-these links swing, and throughtheir connection to the.V crank rods, the latter turn and operate against the walls of the slots 25, through which they extend. This causes the rocker plates to move one vway or the other, depending upon which way the back is moved andthe links swung. 'j The path of travel of the rocker plates' is` controlled yby the shape of the slots 19.

Assume now that the Aparts are in the position of Fig. 3 and it is desired toA move them into the position of Fig.; 1 force is applied to the back, tending Vtomove it in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 3.v The rods 13 eXtending-throughthe lslots19 are held in fixed position, and by reasonof the angular disposition of the slots 19,'the plate will be moved as it is actuated by the crank rods in a path of travel so'that the angular disposition of the cushion, which is connected to the plate, will change from that shown in Fig. 1 to that shown `in Fig. 3. Justv before the limit of movement of the back is reached, the rod 13, to the right in Fig. 4, will engage with the angularly disposed w'all 22'of the slot 19, in which the rod is lying; and the result willbea liftd ing movement imparted to the rocker plate;

and to the cushion 10. The weight ofthis cushion is considerable, and this f lifting movement will place aV retarding orbraking action on the movement of the plate. This retarding action is transmitted back through the operating rods 26 to the links 28, and thusl to the car seat back, so that the back is checked in its movement at this point, and as this is very close to the 'limit of its movement into reverse position, it will settle finally into such position with an easy and gradual movement, eliminating the violent jolt that comes when the back reaches its final reverse position when no retardation is placed thereon. -Y

The amount of check which is given to the seat depends wholly upon the distance which the cushion 10 is moved upward, and this vdependsv'upon the degree of angle of the angular portion 23 of the slot 19. By-vary-- ing this 'anglefthe *retarding--or checking movement can be increased or diminished as desired. When Vthe seat back is' moved "in the reverse direction from that-just described, precisely the same action will take.

place, except that it will be carried out by the walls of the slot 19 in which it'lies.

the supporting rod lyingto the left inFig. 4, l engaging with the rocker plates and crank rods, these plates can be spaced away from the wall and side ends of the car to allow the proper clearance at such points, and the plates can be moved laterally upon the supporting and operating rods so as to make this clearance any desired distance. The only provision that need be made in order to shift the plates is to place the pro-per holes in the bottom of the seat cushion to receive the studs 24 when the rocker plates are changed.

Frequently in the repairing of cars, particularly in the painting, the workmen will remove the rocker plates for the purpose of laying planking across the supporting structure of the seat. The plates so removed will not always be replaced and are inA many instances lost or mislaid. After the car has left the shop and is in condition to be again put into service, the loss of certain rocker plates is discovered and the placing of the car into service will have to be delayed awaiting the securance of rocker plates to take the place of those which have been lost in the shops. This is a source of annoyance and inconvenience to the railroads and is an objectionable feature.

In the present construction, the supporting rods pass directly through the plate and are fiXedly secured to the arm of the seat and to the wall plates. Therefore, the rocker plates cannot lbe removed without the removal of the supporting rods, and the danger of the plates being taken off and lost is overcome.

Although the invention has been described with considerable particularity, it is not deemed to be limited other than may be by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a seat embodying a movable back and a cushion, a rocker plate upon which the cushion rests, a connection between the back and rocker plate, whereby when the back is moved the rocker plate is actuated to change the angle of the cushion, and means embodied in the rocker plate for retarding the movement of the back just prior to the back reaching its limit of movement, substantially as described.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a seat embodying a movable back and a cushion, a rocker plate supporting the cushion, a connection between the back and rocker plate, whereby when the back is moved the rocker plate is actuated to change the angle of the cushion, supporting rods for said plate, said plate being, formed with offset slots through which said rods pass, and said rods and offset portion coperating to retard the movement of the pla-te and 'back just prior to the back reaching its limit of movement, substantially as described. l

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a seat embodying a movable back and a cushion, a rocker plate supporting the cushion, a connection between the back and rocker plate, whereby when the back is moved the rocker plate is actuated to change the angle of the cushion, supporting rods for said plate, said plate being formed with slots through which said rods pass, each of said slots comprising an elongated portion, an angular portion and a terminal portion, and said angular portion and rods coperating to retard the movement of the plate and back just prior to the back reaching its limit of movement, substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a seat embodying a movable back and a cushion, a rocker plate supporting the cushion, a connection between the back and rocker plate, whereby when the back is moved the rocker plate is actuated to change the angle of the cushion, said plate having companion slots therein, supporting rods extending through said slots, a portion of the walls of each of said slots being angularly disposed with respect to the remainder of said walls, and said angularlydisposed portion engaging the rods as the plate is moved and acting to retard the movement of the plate and back just prior to the back reaching its limit of movement, substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a seat embodying a movable back and a cushion, a rocker plate supporting the cushion, a connection between the back and rocker plate whereby when the back is moved the rocker plate is actuated to,V

change the angle of the cushion, liXed supporting rods engaging a surface on said plate, and said surface being formed with an offset portion with which said rods engage as the plate is moved, said engagement acting to retard the movement-of the plate and back just prior to the back reaching its limit of movement, substantially as described.

SI-IERIDAN A. WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

